Nicholas and Mackenzie Spencer.Photo: LinkedIn; GoFundMe
A South Carolina couple currently living in Uganda stand accused of “constantly torturing” their 10-year-old foster son from 2020 to 2022,multiple outlets report.
They allegedly failed to provide him with a mattress to sleep on, making him sleep on a wood platform, and purportedly forced him to squat in an awkward position.
The couple has been charged with aggravated torture, per multiple outlets.
A caretaker for the little boy, whose name is being withheld because of his age, toldThe Monitorthat the couple prevented him from access to education and kept him locked in a small, cold tiled room at all times. She also said he had a camera in his room, monitoring him.
“We believe the victim could have endured more severe acts of torture, away from the camera,” a police statement reportedly said about the case.
Their lawyer, however, reportedly claimed the couple needed medication they couldn’t access in prison and asked that they be released on bail. (The magistrate determined they should be held in custody until she rules on their bail application on Dec. 20.)
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On a 2019 GoFundMe page she created for personal medical expenses, Mackenzie Spencer wrote that she “moved to East Africa nearly 3 years ago with my husband, Nick, and we have been doing humanitarian work focused on women’s empowerment and education. We are also foster parents to 3 incredible children.”
Both Spencers are listed on LinkedIn as working for a startup called MOTIV Uganda.
Their lawyer, Leila Saaliwulide, could not immediately be reached. The Spencers have pleaded not guilty, per reports. They are now being held at Luzira Prison, a maximum security facility.
A Department of State spokesperson tells PEOPLE, “We are aware of reports of the arrest and detention of two U.S. citizens in Kampala. We are monitoring the situation. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment at this time.”
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
